Department for Transport

Driverless Vehicles

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to improve the efficiency of use of road space on motorways.

Andrew Jones: Connected and autonomous vehicles could potentially have significant impacts on traffic flow and road network efficiency. The government recognises that this is an important issue and needs to be better understood to properly inform long-term policy and investment decisions. For this reason, the Department for Transport is currently conducting research to explore the traffic flow impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles. This work is ongoing, and forms part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies.

Driverless Vehicles

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to reduce motorway collisions.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport has not yet made an assessment of the potential for connected and autonomous vehicles to reduce motorway collisions. Research suggests that connected and autonomous vehicles will have a positive impact on safety - systems such as Advanced Emergency Braking are already acknowledged by some insurers to reduce collisions. However research in this area is limited by the extent of real world testing. The Government recognises the need to ensure that the implications of these technologies on safety are well-understood, and they can be introduced safely onto public roads. That is why the Department for Transport plans to conduct trials of driverless vehicles on the Strategic Road Network by the end of 2017, which will be delivered by Highways England. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles also plans to do further research in this area, as part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies.

Driverless Vehicles

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential for driverless cars to increase energy efficiency.

Andrew Jones: Connected and autonomous vehicles could potentially have significant impacts on factors that affect the overall energy consumption and energy efficiency of road transport. The Department for Transport is currently conducting research to explore the energy impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles. This work is ongoing, and forms part of a much wider programme of research and development that the Government is supporting to examine the issues associated with these technologies. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles also plans to do further research in this area.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 31603, from which funding stream the additional  £130 million funding for repair of roads and bridges damaged by Storms Desmond and Eva will be taken.

Andrew Jones: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 16 March 2016 as part of the Budget 2016 that the Government will be allocating a further £130 million to those authorities affected by this winter’s Storms. This funding is on top of the £49 million already committed to repair transport infrastructure damaged by Storms Desmond and Eva. This funding is being met by savings made by the Department for Transport in other transport programmes during the 2015/16 financial year. This funding is in addition to the £6.1 billion we are providing to local highway authorities in England for local highways maintenance between now and 2021.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25277, when he expects the memorandum of understanding to be agreed.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office, Civil Aviation Authority and the Police are currently engaged in discussions regarding the memorandum of understanding, a final document will be agreed and signed by all parties shortly.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25276, on unmanned air vehicles: safety, when he expects his Department to complete the detailed analysis of risks posed by drones.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The outcome of this risk assessment will be used to inform further research into and development of appropriate risk mitigation measures. As stated in my previous answer this work is ongoing and is kept under constant review.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the alternative Colne Valley tunnelling scheme for High Speed 2 as proposed by Hillingdon Council; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park, the Leader of Hillingdon Council and the hon. Member for Uxbridge and Ruislip Northwood and Pinner to discuss that alternative.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The alternative Colne Valley tunnelling scheme, as proposed by the London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH), has been assessed and evidence was presented to the House of Commons HS2 Phase One Bill Select Committee. The Select Committee highlighted a number of concerns with the tunnel scheme in their statement on the 15th July 2015 which concluded that ‘our overall view is that a convincing case for a tunnel instead of the viaduct has not been made.’ Importantly, the Select Committee noted that the evidence was that a tunnel would not eliminate the impact of construction works in Hillingdon and surrounding areas. However, HS2 Ltd is currently undertaking a study with LBH to identify how the HS2 construction impacts in Hillingdon can be further reduced. The results from this study are due to be reported in May 2016. In the meantime, the Secretary of State is happy to meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park, the hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, and the Leader of Hillingdon Council.

Rolling Stock: North West

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provisions his Department has put in place to improve rolling stock as part of the rail franchise package for the North West.

Andrew Jones: The new Northern and TransPennine Express franchises commenced on the 1st April. By the end of 2019, they will have introduced significant improvements in Rolling Stock. The Northern franchise will deliver:-281 new carriages including 55 new Diesel and 43 new Electric trains – the first ever new trains specified for the Northern franchiseAdditional diesel units cascaded from other franchises – refurbished to ‘as new’ standardRemoval of all Pacer trains by October 2019All retained trains will be refurbished as new including Wi-Fi, media servers, passenger information systems, CCTV and accessible toilets with baby-change facilities This means that 30% of this expanded fleet will be new and will operate 2000 more services per week –a 12% increase. The additional trains will provide a 37% increase in morning peak capacity into the North’s 5 major cities by December 2019. The TransPennine franchise will deliver:-220 new carriagesAll existing trains will be refurbished as new including Wi-Fi, additional power sockets, and real-time passenger information systems This means that 70% of fleet is new, the fleet size increases by two-thirds, provides 13million more seats, an 80% increase in morning peak seats by the end of 2019.These delivery plans as bid by the two operators during the Invitation to Tender process have been contracted within the franchise agreements.

Aviation: Working Hours

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will discuss with the European Aviation Safety Agency agreeing a minimum numbers of hours for airline pilots between each flight for EU and non-EU carriers entering EU airspace.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation the responsibility for establishing minimum rest periods for airline pilots rests with the state in which an airline is based. The EU cannot therefore impose requirements for rest periods on non EU airlines. Minimum rest periods for the crew of EU airlines are already established by Commission Regulation 83/2014.

Home Office

Special Constables: Injuries

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice her Department provides to special constables seeking to claim for loss of earnings due to injuries sustained while on duty.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is provided to special constables injured on duty to support recovery from such injuries.

Mike Penning: In order to ensure that special constables have legal protection, the Home Office provides legal assistance cover currently through Arc Legal Assistance. This is available to all special constables, free of charge, and includes personal injury cover including financial compensation for damages. It also includes cover for legal advice as well as representation at criminal proceedings.In October 2014 we also allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, including special constables. This funding is focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.

Asylum: Families

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30648, what details of family members her Department records in respect of refugees who are granted asylum in the UK.

Mike Penning: Asylum claims may include one or more family members who are accepted as dependant on the principal claimant’s asylum claim. Information on family members is requested at the screening and substantive interviews and, where given, this includes name, date of birth, nationality, gender and method of entry into the country.

Asylum: Families

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30649, when she plans to publish the outcomes of the review of the process of dealing with family reunion applications.

Mike Penning: Following consultation with partners, we are currently in the process of finalising revised guidance on dealing with family reunion applications. We intend to publish updated guidance in April 2016.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Armed Conflict

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will estimate the proportion of rebel ground forces in Syria which could be considered moderate.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Prime Minister, the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) stated in Parliament in December 2015 that we assessed at that time that there were around 70,000 non-extremist fighters in Syria, standing up to both the tyranny of the Asad regime and the poisonous and murderous ideology of Daesh. Since the time of that assessment, there have been significant shifts on the ground, particularly as a result of Russia’s military escalation, the majority of which has directly targeted the moderate opposition.

Syria: Islamic State

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of Hamas fighters joining ISIS in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not received any reports of Hamas fighters joining Daesh in Syria.

Gaza: Islamic State

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the influence of ISIS in Gaza.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned about the rise in the number of small Salafi groups in Gaza that sympathise or self-identify with Daesh. This highlights the urgent need for all the parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza to restore security under the Palestinian Authority, and reduce the risk of radicalisation inside Gaza. We are monitoring the situation closely.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government remains committed to the success of the deal. The IAEA’s 26 February report on Iran’s nuclear activities concluded that Iran was complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). We have been working to help businesses take advantage of new commercial opportunities and to ensure that Iran benefits from sanctions relief.

Burma: Political Prisoners

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Burmese counterpart on prisoners of conscience in that country.

Mr Hugo Swire: The release of political prisoners has been an early priority for the new NLD-led government, with over 100 having been released since Friday.The UK Government has long campaigned on the issue of political prisoners in Burma and we welcome this quick action.

Commonwealth

Mary Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

Mr Hugo Swire: We are committed to strengthening our Commonwealth engagement and ties with Commonwealth allies. We continue to engage with organisations like the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council to boost trade and increase prosperity within the Commonwealth. As part of these efforts, the UK and Malta will be co-hosting the first Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting in March 2017.

Israel: Detainees

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the use of administrative detention in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary. Officials regularly raise concerns about the treatment of administrative detainees with their Israeli counterparts.

Economic Situation

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the economy.

Mr David Lidington: The Government's view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.The Chancellor, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Tatton, has announced that the Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit.

Afghanistan: Pakistan

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater diplomatic co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is crucial for the security and prosperity of both countries. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runneymede and Weybridge, visited Afghanistan and Pakistan last month and urged their leaders to work closely together, including on the reconciliation process.

South Sudan: Politics and Government

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to support the formation of the transitional government of national unity in South Sudan.

James Duddridge: In January I visited Juba and held meetings with President Salva Kiir, members of the opposition and civil society. In the margins of the African Union Summit I met with the Leader of the Opposition Riek Machar. In all those meetings I emphasised the importance of forming the transitional government without delay. The UK has also worked closely with key countries in the region and in the UN Security Council to build pressure on the parties to form a government of national unity.

China: Foreign Relations

Mr Alan Mak: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between China and the UK.

Mr Hugo Swire: Our relationship with China is strong and prosperous. We are building on the global partnership established during last year’s Chinese State Visit, by cooperating on international challenges and boosting trade and investment. We also have frank discussions on difficult issues including steel over-capacity, human rights and the South China Sea.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the participation of women in the Syrian peace negotiations.

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is committed to peace talks between the Syrian parties, under UN auspices in Geneva and continues to work closely with the International Syria Support Group. The UK encouraged the UN Special Envoy for Syria and the Syrian opposition to include women in the negotiations. The UN established a Women’s Advisory Board and the opposition’s negotiating team includes women.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has  been made on implementation of the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 on Sri Lanka.

Mr Hugo Swire: Sri Lanka has made encouraging progress towards fulfilling its commitments to UNHRC Resolution 30/1 but we recognise there remains much to be done. We look forward to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment of progress at the next Human Rights Council in June.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Higher Education: Admissions

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students studied higher education in further education colleges in each constituency in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: Information by constituency can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Region-level statistics on enrolments in higher education at further education colleges have been provided as an alternative. The statistics are based on data held by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and refer to the academic years 2011/12 to 2013/14. Information for the latest two academic years is not yet available.  Full-person equivalent students taught Higher Education qualifications at Further Education Colleges in England by region of domicileAcademic years 2011/12 to 2013/14Region of domicileAcademic Year 2011/122012/132013/14North East11,9409,4459,370North West20,19019,69019,800Yorkshire and the Humber16,40014,99015,175East Midlands7,6457,1757,085West Midlands10,5759,9509,610East of England10,5608,9358,845London10,76510,2059,575South East13,89512,61012,035South West13,36512,01011,380Wales850795715Scotland540495490Northern Ireland240285260EU1,070745540Rest of the world1,5701,6051,075England (unknown)360425485United Kingdom (unknown)252065Total all domiciles119,990109,380106,510Source: Information is derived from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student return and the FE Data Service's individualised learner record (ILR) F05 return  Coverage:- Includes students registered with HEIs but taught at FECs under franchised arrangements- Students registered at FECs are only included if they are studying a prescribed course of HE- Includes all levels and modes of higher education study and distance learners- Numbers are based on where the student was domiciled rather than where the student studied- Full-person equivalents (FPEs) have been rounded to the nearest 5

Schools: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to maintain core funding for British schools and institutes abroad which promote UK higher education and research and the international reputation of the UK.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills does not provide direct funding for British schools and institutes abroad which promote UK higher education and research and the international reputation of the UK. Core funding to some overseas research institutes such as the BASIS institutes sponsored by the British Academy, is provided through the science budget. The Government has protected the science budget in real terms to the end of the Parliament. The allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 provides for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period.

Iron and Steel

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on encouraging public procurement for British Steel.

Anna Soubry: BIS Ministers and officials have worked closely with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Crown Commercial Service officials in developing the set of measures delivered through the Steel Procurement Working Group, including the issuing of steel-specific procurement guidance, the mapping of indicative quantities of steel for key projects and the updating of British standards for steel. This close working continues in the implementation of these measures, reporting to the Steel Council. On 3 April we announced we would extend the guidance to the wider public sector and we are setting up an approved list of steel suppliers.

British Academy: Grants

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will restore the full previous block funding arrangements for institutions and societies sponsored through the British Academy.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what consultations he undertook before deciding to change the funding arrangements for British Academy-sponsored institutions and societies; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the contribution of British Academy-sponsored institutions to the reputation and standing of the British academic sector overseas; and if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on that contribution of moving from block grant arrangements to project-based funding for those bodies.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which institutions and societies are in receipt of how much block grant funding from the Government through the British Academy.

Joseph Johnson: Funding arrangements for the British Academy-Sponsored Institutes and Societies (BASIS) programme have not been changed. The seven independent Schools and Institutes within the BASIS Programme collectively have an important role in advancing science diplomacy and promoting UK higher education in their regions, and we value the close connections with foreign government ministries, British diplomatic missions and the British Council that are fostered through the BASIS Programme. The Science & Research budget allocation for the National Academies for 2016-17 to 2019-20 was published on 4 March. The allocation provided for real terms protection for the British Academy’s BASIS programme, enabling the Academy to continue to provide the BASIS Institutes with substantial block grant support throughout this period. Details of direct funding received by the BASIS Programme through its grant from the British Academy, as well as details of the cumulative payments made by the British Academy to individual schools and institutes within the programme, are published in the British Academy Annual Report, available at www.britac.ac.uk/about/annualrep/index.cfm.

Pubs Code Adjudicator

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30689, when his Department plans to publish the declaration of actual or potential conflicts of interest made by Paul Newby for the role of Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Anna Soubry: Holding answer received on 24 March 2016



   The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to ministers in relation to the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator. The Department does not intend to publish any information provided by candidates during this appointment process. In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.

Employment: Mortality Rates

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of differences in mortality rates for (a) permanent and (b) temporary workers.

Nick Boles: My Department has not made an assessment of the differences in mortality rates for permanent and temporary workers.

New Businesses: Disability

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with disabilities receive support to start small business enterprises.

Anna Soubry: Our approach is to ensure help is available to all who want to start and grow a business, including individuals with disabilities. The Business Support Helpline provides bespoke advice to anyone who needs it. Currently around 1% of callers to the Helpline state they have a disability. It can send information in large fonts or braille and also provides a text phone service. Material is also available on www.gov.uk.The Start-Up Loans programme provides loans and mentoring support. It operates through a network of delivery partners who adhere to FCA Regulations on Treating Customers Fairly, which include reference to the treatment of customers with a disability.The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) New Enterprise Allowance provides funding and advice to people on certain benefits to help them start their own business. It supported 15,500 people with disabilities between April 2011 and September 2015. DWP’s Access to Work scheme supports people with a disability, health or mental health condition to help them start working, stay in work or start a business.

Audio Equipment

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations his Department has (a) received and (b) made on guidance on volume controls of mobile phones and other devices using headphones.

Anna Soubry: The Department has received no representations nor made any guidance regarding the volume controls of mobile phones and other devices using headphones.

Arms Trade: Exports

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what applications for arms export licences were rejected by his Department in each year since 2010.

Anna Soubry: Information on military and dual use export licences is published as Official Statistics in the quarterly and annual reports on Strategic Export Controls which are all available to view on GOV.UK. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences.Data covers all years from 2008 up to 30 September 2015. Information covering the period 1 October to 31 December 2015 will be published on 19 April 2016.Bespoke reports on the published data can be run via https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/

Small Businesses: Employee Ownership

Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to promote the take-up of employee ownership schemes by small and medium-sized businesses in each nation of the UK.

Anna Soubry: In 2012, the previous Government asked Graeme Nuttall to advise on what more could be done to increase the number of businesses with employee ownership. The Nuttall Review identified 28 recommendations to address three main constraints: lack of awareness of the concept; lack of resources to support the model; and actual or perceived legal, tax and other regulatory barriers. The action taken to address the recommendations is explained in the ‘The Nuttall Review of Employee Ownership - One Year On’ report published in November 2013 and available on the gov.uk website.The Government now expects the private sector to make the business case for this model through organisations such as the Employee Ownership Association – the representative body for employee-owned businesses.Ongoing encouragement for employee ownership is provided through four approved share schemes which have tax-advantages for both employees and employers. These are the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP), Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) which are administered by HMRC. In 2013-14 the total value of shares and options awarded under these schemes was around £3.45bn with over £1bn of income tax and national insurance relief given.

Motor Vehicles: Hacking

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will discuss with vehicle manufacturers improvements to in-vehicle technology to prevent vehicle hacking.

Anna Soubry: Government recognises that vehicle security is a priority to ensure the safety and security of the public and their data. Government is actively engaging with the automotive industry, including vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to develop understanding and capability around the rapidly evolving cyber threats to vehicles.As vehicle technology is advancing rapidly, particularly with respect to connectivity and automation technologies, the nature and level of threat, together with vulnerabilities and the potential impact of any successful exploit is changing. It is important that vehicles are "secure by design" and government is working with industry to ensure the opportunities of these new technologies can be realised safely and securely.Connected technologies present cyber security challenges across a broad range of sectors. The recent Strategic Defence Spending Review, and the recently announced National Cyber Security Centre provide cross-cutting strategy for cyber security and it is important that automotive is considered as a part of this wider agenda.

Small Businesses: Loans

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the Government plans to publish its response to Lawrence Tomlinson's report on the lending practices of banks to small businesses.

Anna Soubry: The matter is being taken forward by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which has appointed firms to conduct an independent “skilled persons” review of RBS’s treatment of business customers in financial difficulty and the allegations of poor practice set out in Lawrence Tomlinson’s report. The review is complex and is still ongoing. The FCA expects to make an announcement about the outcome of the review later this year.

Department for International Development

Israel: Palestinians

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when the UK is joining the EU Consortium to support the construction of small-scale infrastructure in Area C; and whether such construction has received planning permission from the Israeli government.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The UK is committed to Palestinian development in Area C. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes. The UK has allocated £900,000 for the development of basic social infrastructure in areas which have an outline plan in the approval process, through an EU consortium. The EU consults with the local communities themselves and the Israeli authorities where necessary.

Department for Education

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria the Government plans to use to calculate each school's allocation of funds raised from the soft drinks industry levy for school sports.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the PE and sport premium for primary schools to £320m a year from September 2017, enabling them to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport they offer. It will also provide up to £285m a year to enable up to a quarter of secondary schools to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities, including sports clubs. Further details will be announced in due course.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence she took into account before making it her policy to abolish the right of parents to be represented on school governing bodies; and if she will place copies of such evidence in the Library.

Edward Timpson: The Government’s education White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published on 17 March 2016, makes it clear that many parents already play a valuable role in governance and that parents will always be encouraged to serve on governing boards. Governing boards have a vital strategic role and need people with the right skills to succeed. We will always encourage parents to serve on governing boards and in many cases academy trusts will continue to find people with the skills and experience they need among parents. Moving from a representational to a fully skills-based governance model means ending the absolute requirement for academy trusts to include two elected parents on the board of trustees (or in the case of multi-academy trusts either on the board or on each local governing body). Many parents will, of course, have relevant expertise and boards will continue to be free to appoint them. Trusts may also retain elected parent trustees if they so wish.High quality leadership and governance will be vital as we devolve more power to schools. That is why our entire approach from governance, to curriculum, to budgets, has been to give schools the freedom to adapt the model that works best for them.The Government’s objective is to increase academies’ engagement with parents and for the first time we will be creating a new expectation that every academy puts in place arrangements for meaningful engagement with all parents, to listen to their views and feedback. This is one of a number of policies outlined in the White Paper for enabling parents to be more engaged with their children’s education and compliments more regular surveys of parental satisfaction with their children’s schools, which we will publish. We are also launching a Parent Portal to provide information on school performance, guidance on how the school system works and how to raise complaints. This new website will act as a reliable point of reference for parents so they know exactly how they can get involved in their child’s education.

Business: Education

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) female and (b) other students are encouraged to take modules in entrepreneurship and business mentoring.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government is committed to improving the extent and quality of the careers guidance and inspiration that all young people receive. This should begin with activities to enable children in primary school to explore the world of work. Primary Futures is an example of an initiative that helps primary age children to see a clear link and purpose between their learning and their futures.The Department for Education has funded The Careers & Enterprise Company to take a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people aged 12 to 18 in England. This work includes ensuring that all students have access to high quality careers and enterprise provision, including interactions with employers. The Company helps employers, schools and colleges and other organisations to navigate their way through the existing landscape and find appropriate careers and enterprise organisations to partner with. An example of a successful initiative is the three-year industry-led Your Life campaign, which was launched by the Government in 2014. This aims to inspire young people, particularly girls, to study A level maths and physics as a gateway to an exciting and wide-ranging career.Entrepreneurship education is an important component of high quality careers provision. The careers statutory guidance requires schools in England to offer pupils the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and have access to advice on options available post-16 including entrepreneurship.We are giving more young people access to a mentor to help raise aspirations, improve focus and attainment and help prepare them for the next stage in their lives. The Prime Minister announced on 14 March 2016 that the government will commit £12 million over this parliament for an investment fund to build capacity in the system to recruit and train a new generation of high-quality mentors, focussing on teenagers most at risk of under-achieving or dropping out of education. This will be supported by a national advertising campaign.

Pre-school Education

Mr Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage nurseries to teach early language skills.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards for the provision of learning, development and care for children from birth to five year olds that all registered early years providers such as maintained nurseries must follow. Within the EYFS, there are several areas of learning and development that shape the educational programme in the early years settings, one of which is communication and language.The EYFS makes clear that children should be given opportunities to experience a rich language environment to help them develop the confidence and skills they need to express themselves and to speak and listen in a range of situations. The EYFS requires practitioners to ensure all children have the opportunities to learn and develop a good standard of English language to ensure they are ready to benefit from the opportunities available to them when they begin primary school.We have also worked closely with 4Children to develop the What to Expect, When? guide which illustrates to parents and early years providers the tools they can use to help their children’s language development from birth to five years old, and can be found at: http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2015/03/what-to-expect-when-a-parents-guide/The Department for Education has also awarded £5.3 million to voluntary and community sector organisations of which a number are supporting staff to develop strong pedagogical approaches to language development and early literacy.

Special Educational Needs

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities are required to take action on education and early years settings that intentionally exclude disabled children and do not meet their legal duties to such children under the Equality Act 2010.

Edward Timpson: Promoting equality in education settings is a priority for this Government. In combination with our guidance to schools on managing medical conditions, the Equality Act 2010 provides a broad basis for ensuring that disabled pupils are included and supported to achieve their full potential.The Equality Act requires all schools (whether maintained or academy) to produce an accessibility plan. These plans ensure that all aspects of school life are accessible to disabled pupils. The Act also requires Local Authorities to produce accessibility strategies with the same aims as the school-level plan, but with different coverage. There is no evidence of schools or early years settings systematically refusing to accept disabled children. However, we do take action where individual cases are brought to our attention.Our Early Implementer Package for the new extended childcare offer will include testing how we can improve access for children with SEN and disabilities. This will provide critical information before the national rollout.Any exclusions from school must be lawful, reasonable and fair. Schools have a legal duty not to discriminate against a pupil because of a protected characteristic. The statutory guidance on exclusion emphasises the importance of early intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour, including an assessment of whether suitable provision is in place to support any SEN or disability a pupil may have. It also states that headteachers should, as far as possible, avoid excluding permanently any pupil with a statement of SEN.In certain circumstances, governing bodies must review head teachers’ decisions to exclude and have the power to reinstate a pupil. Where a governing body upholds a permanent exclusion, parents can request that the decision is reviewed by an independent review panel. However, the governing body has the final say on whether the pupil can return to the school. Parents can request that a SEN expert provides impartial advice to the panel.Parents can also make a claim to the First-tier Tribunal (SEN and Disabilities) when it is alleged that an exclusion relates to disability discrimination. The Tribunal has the power to order the pupil’s reinstatement.When Ofsted inspect a school and look at the behaviour management policies they can also consider whether the school is disproportionately excluding pupils with disabilities and can use this to inform their assessment.

Children: Carers

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to provide additional support for educational studies to young carers.

Edward Timpson: Schools play an important part in identifying pupils who are young carers and in offering them appropriate support. That is why my Department works with Carers Trust and The Children’s Society to share tools, good practice and increase awareness in schools of young carers’ issues. Ofsted inspectors will also pay particular attention to the outcomes achieved by young carers in schools.We have changed the law so that, since April 2015, all young carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs for support, regardless of who they care for, what type of care they provide or how much time they spend caring.The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund enables students from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in further education by helping them to overcome any financial barriers they face. With the help of Carers Trust, we have recently improved our guidance to the schools, colleges and training providers that administer the bursary on how they can better identify and support eligible young carers. We also have strong links with the National Association of Managers of Student Services, a network of college staff who have direct responsibility for providing appropriate support for students. We have provided Carers Trust with access to this network so they can agree in partnership how they can better raise awareness of young carers’ circumstances and support requirements.Around 60%, of young carers are thought to be eligible for free school meals, and those who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years will be attracting pupil premium funding to the schools that they attend.Additionally, all young people who have not achieved their full potential at age 16 in terms of achieving a grade C in English and maths GCSE at the age of 16 attract extra funding to provide the educational support they need to achieve and progress. Any young carer who finds themselves in this situation will be able to access additional educational support from their school or college.We also funded Suffolk Family Carers over £111,000 in 2015-16 to run a local project to raise awareness of young carers amongst teachers, non-teaching staff and school nurses, including a focus on young carers’ mental health, supporting Suffolk County Council’s strategy on young carers. We are now evaluating that project.

Sexting

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance she has issued to schools about sexting; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Keeping children safe is a top priority for the government. In July 2015, the Department published updated statutory guidance[1] on keeping children safe in education. Schools and colleges must have regard to this guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.All school and college staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn, and they should be aware of the various forms of abuse so they are able to identify cases of children in need of help and support.The ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance provides a link to further advice on sexting on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre website. The Centre are working on new guidance for schools and colleges on handling sexting.As part of our commitment to working with schools and other experts to ensure that young people are receiving age appropriate information that allows them to make informed choices and stay safe, the PSHE Association have produced guidance[2] for teachers on teaching about consent, which was published in March 2015.The Department has also produced advice for schools on searching, screening and confiscation which makes clear that school staff can examine the contents of a pupil’s mobile phone and, where necessary, delete inappropriate content where there is good reason to do so.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447595/KCSIE_July_2015.pdf[2] https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/resources/guidance-teaching-about-consent-pshe-education-key

Child Protection Taskforce

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who has attended meetings of the Child Protection Task Force and on what dates; and what action has been decided at those meetings.

Edward Timpson: Information relating to the proceedings of recent meetings of Implementation Taskforces is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Pupil Premium

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of pupil premium on ensuring children who are classed as behind reach their expected grades at Key Stages 1 to 4.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government is determined to deliver educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of background, reaches their full potential.Information on the proportion of low achieving disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard at key stage 4 is available from the KS2-4 transition matrices for disadvantaged pupils[1] on RAISEonline. These show progression from sub-levels at key stage 2 to grades at key stage 4 for a range of subjects, for both disadvantaged and other pupils. Similar information is not published regularly for progression between other key stages.In 2015 the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee reviewed the pupil premium and concluded that while it is too early to assess the full impact of the funding, there is evidence that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has started to narrow.The Department for Education's gap index provides a more accurate measure over time in light of changes to assessments. It shows that attainment has risen and the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed - by 7.1 per cent at key stage 2 and 6.6 per cent at key stage 4 since 2011, the year the pupil premium was introduced.This means better prospects and a more prosperous life as an adult for this group of pupils. But we refuse to accept second best for any young person, which is why we are continuing the pupil premium at current rates for the duration of this parliament, providing funding to support schools to continue improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.[1] https://www.raiseonline.org/OpenDocument.aspx?document=381%20

GCSE

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the year 7 catch-up premium in raising pupil attainment at GCSE level.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Since 2012 we have provided £500 per pupil funding to secondary schools for year 7 pupils who did not meet the expected standard in reading or mathematics at primary school. This funding enables schools to deliver additional support, such as individual tuition or intensive support in small groups, for those pupils that most need it.It is not possible to make an assessment of the effectiveness of the year 7 catch-up premium in raising pupil attainment at GCSE level, as the first cohort of pupils to benefit from this funding in 2012 will now be in year 10 and have not yet entered GCSEs.We provide advice and guidance to schools on how they should use their funding and have published guidance on literacy and numeracy catch-up strategies which schools can consult when making decisions on how to spend their funding. Schools must publish details of how they spend their year 7 catch-up premium funding on the school website.

Carers: Young People

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2016 to Question 30139, what steps she plans to take to expand grant funding projects to other local authorities to support young carers under the age of 16, similar to that provided by Suffolk family carers.

Edward Timpson: My Department will make decisions about grant funding for further work to support young carers on the basis of:the quantitative research report on young carers in England;the evaluation reports of the programmes of work carried out by Suffolk Family Carers and Carers Trust; andevidence submitted to the Government’s carers strategy call for evidence https://consultations.dh.gov.uk/carers/how-can-we-improve-support-for-carersThe research and evaluation reports are due this year.

Child Rearing

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department issues guidance to schools on how to identify and manage incidences of parental alienation.

Edward Timpson: Protection from abuse and neglect is a fundamental right of all children and young people, regardless of their family situation, and the government will continue to review how schools, police, social services and other agencies work together to protect all children.The Department published updated statutory guidance in 2015 on Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. Schools and colleges must have regard to this guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All school and college staff should be aware of the various forms of abuse, including emotional harm, so that they are able to identify children in need of help and support and know what action to take. This would include recognising where children are suffering as the result of family relationship breakdown.

Foster Care: Tax Allowances

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) the tax treatment of foster carers who claim tax benefit and (b) the qualification of such people for other benefits.

Edward Timpson: Fostering income is already subject to a specific tax relief system consisting of a fixed annual threshold of £10,000 per fostering household and a weekly threshold based on the number of children in placement and their age. More information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers/help-with-the-cost-of-fosteringFoster carers can access working tax credit, where they meet the eligibility criteria, as fostering is treated as work for these purposes.Under the benefits system, fostering income (allowances and fees) is fully disregarded for the purposes of calculating entitlement to welfare benefits. For the purposes of calculating income-related benefits, foster children are not included in the benefit assessment.

Further Education

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29811, on further education, if she will publish the minutes of each of those meetings.

Nick Boles: Minutes of the steering group meetings are not published as they are a series of internal discussions during which local stakeholders review post-16 provision in their area and work towards a set of recommendations. As such, each local steering group has space and autonomy to develop their proposals and discuss local issues effectively.The Department is committed to making the outcomes transparent, and once each review reaches its conclusions, there will be a summary report published at the end of each Area Review process.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in how many towns there is no choice of secondary education provision.

Edward Timpson: The information requested is not held in the required format.The Department’s register of educational establishments in England and Wales, EduBase, contains the postal address details of all schools including the postal town which may differ from the actual town where the school is located.The EduBase system is publically available and can be accessed at: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml

Ministry of Justice

Prisons

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) working at height and (b) concerted indiscipline incidents have been recorded in each prison since May 2010.

Andrew Selous: The vast majority of incidents at height are minor in nature and resolved quickly and professionally without injury, damage or disruption to the running of the prison. Many are short in duration, lasting less than 15 minutes and the majority occur when prisoners go onto netting on prison wings. Each incident is investigated fully to ensure lessons are learnt and best practice in managing incidents is shared across NOMS. These figures show that the Prime Minister and Justice Secretary are right and our prisons badly need reform. We are making progress: we have made it illegal to smuggle new psychoactive substances (NPS) into prisons and have trained over 300 sniffer dogs to detect NPS and are trialling the use of body worn cameras with front-line staff. But the only way to reduce disorder and violence in our prisons is to give those who work in prisons the tools necessary to better reform and rehabilitate offenders. The table below provides numbers of incidents at height reported between May 2010 and November 2015, broken down by establishment. The information requested on concerted indiscipline incidents can be found in my response to PQ 28151. Number of Incident at Height by prisons, England and Wales, May 2010 to November 2015   EstablishmentsIncident at Height Altcourse242 Ashfield21 Ashwell0 Aylesbury41 Bedford39 Belmarsh14 Birmingham158 Blundeston6 Brinsford27 Bristol37 Brixton24 Bronzefield21 Buckley Hall18 Bullingdon29 Cardiff20 Channings Wood79 Chelmsford54 Coldingley19 Cookham Wood2 Dartmoor37 Deerbolt15 Doncaster140 Dorchester5 Dovegate91 Dover9 Downview1 Drake Hall1 Durham74 Eastwood Park14 Erlestoke20 Everthorpe18 Exeter36 Featherstone36 Feltham106 Ford0 Forest Bank64 Foston Hall4 Frankland7 Full Sutton11 Garth11 Gartree6 Glen Parva52 Gloucester7 Guys Marsh54 Haslar0 Hatfield1 Haverigg120 Hewell71 High Down85 Highpoint42 Hindley299 Holloway1 Holme House39 Hull20 Humber53 Huntercombe8 IOW: Albany1 IOW: Camp Hill36 IOW: Parkhurst2 Isis59 Isle of Wight19 Kennet3 Kingston1 Lancaster Castle1 Lancaster Farms117 Leeds90 Leicester77 Lewes23 Leyhill0 Lincoln126 Lindholme159 Littlehey9 Liverpool187 Long Lartin7 Lowdham Grange111 Maidstone4 Manchester108 Moorland46 Morton Hall11 Mount38 New Hall3 Northallerton7 Northumberland71 Northumberland: Acklington5 Northumberland: Castington1 Norwich46 Nottingham290 Oakwood174 Onley33 Parc197 Pentonville100 Peterborough44 Portland58 Preston45 Ranby162 Reading14 Risley53 Rochester80 Rye Hill97 Send1 Sheppey: Elmley56 Sheppey: Swaleside33 Shrewsbury4 Stafford37 Stocken72 Stoke Heath33 Styal10 Sudbury1 Swansea12 Swinfen Hall46 Thameside76 Thorn Cross0 Usk\Prescoed1 Verne4 Wakefield10 Wandsworth84 Warren Hill2 Wayland41 Wealstun16 Wellingborough10 Werrington194 Wetherby158 Whatton0 Whitemoor13 Winchester114 Wolds12 Woodhill138 Wormwood Scrubs33 Wymott52

Prisons: Discipline

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents at height in respect of each method of access there have been in each prison in each month since May 2010.

Andrew Selous: I refer the Hon Member to the answer for PQ 20749. The table attached provides a further breakdown of the data provided in that PQ. The vast majority of incidents at height are minor in nature and resolved quickly and professionally without injury, damage or disruption to the running of the prison. Many are short in duration, lasting less than 15 minutes and the majority occur when prisoners go onto netting on prison wings. Each incident is investigated fully to ensure lessons are learnt and best practice in managing incidents is shared across NOMS. These figures show that the Prime Minister and Justice Secretary are right and our prisons badly need reform. We are making progress: we have made it illegal to smuggle new psychoactive substances (NPS) into prisons and have trained over 300 sniffer dogs to detect NPS and are trialling the use of body worn cameras with front-line staff. But the only way to reduce disorder and violence in our prisons is to give those who work in prisons the tools necessary to better reform and rehabilitate offenders.



Incidents at Heights 2010-16
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Insolvency

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by Professor Walton, entitled The likely effect of the Jackson reforms on insolvency litigation - an empirical investigation, published in 2013, what his policy is on each of the conclusions of that report.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by Professor Walton, entitled The likely effect of the Jackson reforms on insolvency litigation - an empirical investigation, published in 2013, what the evidential basis is for his policy on each of the conclusions of that report.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date his Department met Professor Walton to discuss the findings of his interim report on the insolvency litigation landscape, published on 10 December 2015.

Dominic Raab: Ministry of Justice officials met Professor Walton and others on 12 October last year to discuss his report, but the Ministry of Justice did not agree with his conclusions. Our changes to no win no fee deals have tackled the increasing costs of litigation. We delayed bringing the law in for insolvency proceedings to allow the industry time to prepare. The no win no fee reforms in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 will come into force for insolvency proceedings on 6 April this year.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive on the ability in future of Members of the House of Lords to continue to serve on the board of the BBC; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The BBC is not a relevant person under the Money Laundering Regulations and as such appointees to the BBC Board would not be affected.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Food

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received on British service personnel being served food which contains mould and maggots; and what monitoring his Department undertakes to ensure that all food served to such service personnel is of a satisfactory standard.

Mark Lancaster: The Department is aware of concerns that have been expressed in the media about the standard of food.The Department has in place a number of safeguards to ensure a good quality of food. These include; contract monitoring, site visits, reviews, customer engagement and assurance by Single Service catering subject matter experts to improve on the service provided.Any complaint over food can be raised through the chain of command or directly with the contractor by way of a complaints book.

Type 26 Frigates

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what sites are under consideration for the shore-based testing facilities for the power and propulsion systems for the T26 Global Combat Ship.

Mr Philip Dunne: Shore-based testing facilities for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship power and propulsion system will be established at General Electric's site at Whetstone, Leicester, and David Brown Gears Systems' in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.General Electric will supply the propulsion motor and drive system and David Brown Gears Systems will supply the propulsion gearbox.

MDP Wethersfield

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Written Statement of 10 March 2016, HCWS605, on Air Cadet Aviation Re-launch, whether a decision has been taken to close MDP Wethersfield airfield; and if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of that facility to supporting 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron operations in the future.

Mr Julian Brazier: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mark Lancaster) on 24 March (Official Report, column 75WS) which confirmed the release of MOD Wethersfield. It is intended that the site will close before this Parliament ends in 2020.All units based at the site, including 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, will be provided for elsewhere.Work to identify the potential future location for these units will be completed later this year.



WMS on Defence Estate Rationalisation
(Word Document, 18.11 KB)

Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the local government finance settlement 2016-17, whether he consulted the Office for Budget Responsibility on the distribution of the transitional grant.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Office for Budget Responsibility is concerned with national economic forecasting, while the Transition Grant is a subnational distribution. It was therefore not necessary nor would it have been standard practice to consult the OBR on this issue.

HM Treasury

Natural Gas: Prices

Dawn Butler: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the results of his Department's investigation into benefits to consumers from falling gas prices.

Damian Hinds: The Treasury has conducted internal studies to examine how far and how quickly the benefits of oil and gas price falls were fed through to consumers, and engaged with industry to stress the importance of this happening. These were internal studies used to inform government policy on energy markets and were not intended for publication. The government continues to monitor the market.

Natural Gas: Prices

Dawn Butler: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Competition and Markets Authority report on energy market investigation published on 10 March 2016, what recent progress has been made on his Department's investigation into consumer benefits from falling gas prices.

Damian Hinds: The Treasury has conducted internal studies to examine how far and how quickly the benefits of oil and gas price falls were fed through to consumers, and engaged with industry to stress the importance of this happening. The Government welcomes the CMA’s provisional decisions on remedies of their energy market investigation, which included proposals to introduce a safeguard tariff to protect customers on pre-payment meters. The government will act quickly on the CMA’s recommendations to ensure that bill payers get a fair deal from energy markets.

Individual Savings Accounts

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on allowing for integration of the lifetime ISA and existing standard ISAs.

Mr David Gauke: The Government has announced it will be introducing a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. Savers will be able to transfer savings from other ISAs as one way of funding their Lifetime ISA. These contributions will count towards the £4,000 Lifetime ISA limit and will receive a bonus. In line with existing rules, transfers from previous years’ ISA contributions will not count towards that year’s £20,000 overall ISA limit. During the 2017-18 tax year only, those with a Help to Buy: ISA will be able to transfer in the savings they have built up before 6 April 2017 to the Lifetime ISA, and still save an additional £4,000 into a Lifetime ISA in that year. This means the whole amount will benefit from the 25% government bonus. Individuals will not be able to use a government bonus from both a Help to Buy: ISA and a Lifetime ISA to buy their first home.

Energy: Tax Allowances

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.134 of Budget 2016, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to publish the technical note clarifying the interpretation of existing legislation on tax reliefs for decommissioning expenditure.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.133 of Budget 2016, whether the adjustments to Investment Allowances for oil and gas production in the UK will extend to investment in pipelines.

Damian Hinds: A Technical Note was published on 16 March 2016 (Budget Day) to clarify aspects of HMRC’s view of the legislation that provides tax relief for decommissioning expenditure. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oil-and-gas-companies-tax-relief-for-decommissioning-expenditure/oil-and-gas-companies-tax-relief-for-decommissioning-expenditure  At Budget 2016, the Government announced the extension of ‘relevant income’ for Investment and Cluster Area Allowances, to include tariff income (payments by a third party for access to infrastructure, including pipelines). By taking a power in Finance Bill 2016 to introduce the extension by secondary legislation, the Government will be able to take further representations from industry on how best to address issues of allocation and transparency.

Individual Savings Accounts

Steve McCabe: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that consumers have adequate advice and information about the benefits and risks of investing in a lifetime ISA.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to affordable financial advice and guidance, at all stages of their lives. As announced at Budget 2016, the Government will take forward all the recommendations of the Financial Advice Market Review for which it is responsible, to support the development of a market which provides affordable, high-quality advice.

Child Benefit: Foreign Nationals

William Wragg: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of child benefit payments to non-UK citizens.

Damian Hinds: The Government has made it clear that UK rates of Child Benefit should not be paid to EU children overseas. The Government paper ‘The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union’ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502291/54284_EU_Series_No1_Web_Accessible.pdf sets out what was agreed at the February European Council.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control: Lancashire

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department has allocated for projects to prevent flooding in Burnley and Padiham.

Rory Stewart: Following the December 2015 flooding, the Environment Agency is developing a revised assessment of flood risk in Padiham, which may identify further measures to reduce flood risk in the area. The Environment Agency has also allocated £10,000 to the Burnley Ordinary Watercourse Study in 2018/19. The study aims at better understanding the flood risk from ordinary watercourses and will inform any potential future investment needs. The Fulledge Flood Risk Management Scheme was funded through £345,000 Flood Defence Grant in Aid and was completed in March 2013. The scheme reduces the flood risk to 781 properties in Burnley and helped to significantly reduce flooding in Burnley during storm Eva.

Roads: Litter

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that public bodies under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 comply with their duty to pick up roadside litter.

Rory Stewart: The Government is committed to localism and the transfer of power to local communities. This is particularly relevant in dealing with litter, which requires a local approach, tailored to the characteristics of the area and the community in which the problems occur. It is up to councils to decide how best to meet their statutory duty to keep their relevant land clear of litter and refuse and how to prioritise this against other local services. Councils are responsible for keeping their “relevant land” clear of litter and refuse, including local roads. Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency) is responsible for clearing litter from motorways and some trunk roads. Standards of cleanliness for litter and refuse are set out in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, which provides a practical guide to the discharge of councils’ cleansing duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA). If a litter authority which is responsible for publicly-accessible land fails to keep land clear of litter and refuse, it can be taken to court. If the court agrees that the complaint is justified, it can issue a Litter Abatement Order (LAO) requiring the litter authority to clear land of litter within a certain time. The litter authority can also be ordered to pay the complainant’s costs. It is a criminal offence not to comply with an LAO - anyone not complying can be fined up to £2,500. They can also get further fines of up to £125 a day for each day the offence continues after conviction. Court action can be avoided if litter authorities clear the land within five days of being notified of the complainant’s intention to seek a Litter Abatement Order.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff employed by the Environment Agency earn salaries of more than £100,000 per year.

Rory Stewart: This information is published annually as part of the government’s transparency agenda at: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/staff-organograms-and-pay-environment-agency

Litter: Recycling

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a national deposit return scheme as part of the Government's litter strategy.

Rory Stewart: As part of its Litter Strategy, published in 2014, the Scottish Government announced that it had commissioned a feasibility study and a call for evidence investigating the implementation of a deposit return system for single use drink containers in Scotland. This valuable work, published last year, highlighted significant uncertainties regarding the impacts and benefits that a deposit return system would have, notably regarding costs, environmental quality and littering, and existing waste collection systems. The Scottish Government is doing further work on the topic and we will consider any new evidence arising from this in the course of developing our own National Litter Strategy for England. Defra analysed the costs and benefits of implementing a deposit return system for single use drink containers as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, and to seek views in the 2012 consultation on higher packaging recycling targets. This work showed that introducing a deposit return system may increase recycling and reduce litter, but might impose additional costs on businesses, consumers and local authorities (which would lose revenue from recycling). However, we are lacking evidence to appropriately quantify these benefits and costs. The current approach has driven a significant increase in packaging waste recycling rates, from less than 47% in 2003 to nearly 65% in 2013.

Waste Disposal

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of air pollution control residues were recovered into end-of-waste products in 2015; into what types of products those residues were returned back into the environment; how those products can be traced in case of recall; and what estimate she has made of the number of tonnes of air pollution control residues that will be recovered into end-of-waste products in 2016.

Rory Stewart: We do not collect statistics relating to materials that meet end of waste criteria. We do not hold information on the number of tonnes of air pollution residues recovered into end of waste products, nor have we made predictions for 2016. We provide opinions on whether materials have met end of waste or not when requested by companies. If a material ceases to be waste the Environment Agency has no further role regarding the regulation or monitoring of that non waste product.

Waste Disposal

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, upon what criteria she plans to decide whether to remove the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive which currently allows air pollution control residues, which have been recovered from municipal waste to energy incineration facilities, to be treated and disposed to hazardous landfill sites.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the costs to local authorities of (a) mixing a tonne of air pollution control residues into concrete blocks and (b) disposing of a tonne of air pollution control residues to secure hazardous waste landfill.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of air pollution control residues were captured at municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2015; and what estimate she has made of the total tonnes of air pollution control residues that will be generated by municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2016.

Rory Stewart: The derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria was originally granted because there was a lack of alternative treatment capacity at the time to either treat certain wastes to levels meeting normal waste acceptance limits, to treat the wastes via alternative treatment technologies or to recycle or recover the residues. The availability of sufficient alternative treatment capacity and the costs of that treatment are therefore the two central criteria that the government will use to decide whether or not to remove the derogation. The Government is making an assessment of the quantity of air pollution control residues produced at energy from waste facilities to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision. The Government is making an assessment of the costs of the different forms of treatment for air pollution control residues, including their mixing into concrete blocks and their disposal to hazardous waste landfill, to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.

Waste Disposal

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the (a) most recent environmental risk assessment for bound use of air pollution control residues in concrete blocks, (b) exposure levels of dioxins and heavy metals in the air when the blocks were cut, drilled or crushed in buildings and (c) scientific methodology used for measuring these levels.

Rory Stewart: In 2012 the Environment Agency’s Definition of Waste panel gave a positive end of waste opinion to the company Carbon8 for the use of air pollution control residues in concrete blocks. The company’s submission included their own risk assessment for safety and environmental impacts. We have not published, and do not intend to publish, information on the risks or the methodology relating to the binding of air pollution control residues in concrete blocks.

Animal Welfare: Convictions

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent any person convicted of animal abuse from owning an animal.

George Eustice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already allows courts to make a disqualification order in respect of someone who has been found guilty of causing any unnecessary suffering to an animal. It is for the courts to decide whether to make such an order and, if so, for how long based on the individual circumstances of the case. If a court decides not to impose such an order, it must give its reasons in open court. I consider, therefore, that the courts have the necessary powers to impose appropriate penalties in relation to acts of animal cruelty

Department of Health

Kawasaki Disease

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support children with Kawasaki disease.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure accurate and early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to medical practitioners on the similarities between Kawasaki disease and scarlet fever.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability in the UK of clinical expertise to treat scarlet fever and Kawasaki disease.

George Freeman: The Government published the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases in November 2013. The strategy contains over 50 commitments to ensure people living with a rare disease, such as Kawasaki disease, have access to the best evidence-based care and treatment that health and social services, working with charities, researchers and industry can provide.It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricular to ensure newly qualified healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. This includes training in both scarlet fever and Kawasaki disease.Health Education England works with bodies that set curricula such as the General Medical Council and the Royal Colleges to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.The Department and its arm’s length bodies have not published any specific guidance on the similarities between Kawasaki disease and scarlet fever.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on the assessment and initial management of fever in under 5s sets out the circumstances in which a diagnosis of Kawasaki disease should be considered, and Public Health England (PHE) has endeavoured to keep healthcare professionals, schools and the general public informed of the increased incidence of scarlet fever through timely information, news stories and updates on the PHE website and by using social and other media. These awareness raising measures assist general practitioners and other frontline healthcare professionals in reaching a correct diagnosis more quickly and encourage patients to seek medical advice early so that suspected cases receive prompt antibiotic treatment to reduce the risk of complications and limit further transmission.

Abortion

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the time taken to transfer women from abortion clinics to hospitals in cases of serious complications following abortions; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that women are appropriately transferred from abortion clinics to hospitals at the earliest point in the case of emergencies.

Jane Ellison: In May 2014, the Department published updated requirements (Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion)) which the providers of independent sector abortion services must agree to comply with to be approved by the Secretary of State to perform abortions. This includes the requirement to have in place procedures and protocols to deal with emergencies and the transfer to specialist services. A copy of the guidance is attached.



Updated Requirements
(PDF Document, 348.13 KB)

General Practitioners

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to NHS England and clinical commissioning groups on the account they should take of future residential developments with regard to GP service provision.

George Freeman: Commissioning of general practitioner (GP) services is a responsibility of NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with delegated authority. Currently around half of CCGs have delegated authority. As part of these arrangements, NHS England and CCGs are responsible for planning GP services to ensure they are appropriate for the local population. This should take into account a number of factors, including information about known future residential developments and implications for requirements for healthcare provision, including GP services. Based on this information, the commissioners should engage with the local planning authority to enable decisions to be made on the appropriate funding arrangements for the required health infrastructure resulting from the new development. Departmental guidance on planning matters for National Health Service organisations is available in Part B of the Department publication Health Building Note 00-08 The efficient management of healthcare estates and facilities and Health Building Note 00-08 Addendum 2 – A guide to town planning for health organisations. These publications are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-efficient-management-of-healthcare-estates-and-facilities-health-building-note-00-08

Abortion

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that safeguarding policies at British Pregnancy Advisory Service abortion clinics reflect national guidance on sexual exploitation of children and risks of female genital mutilation.

Jane Ellison: In May 2014, the Department published updated requirements (Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion)) which the providers of independent sector abortion services, including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, must agree to comply with to be approved by the Secretary of State to perform abortions. This includes compliance with legal requirements and having regard to any statutory guidance relating to children, young people and vulnerable adults and having policies and protocols in place for dealing with these groups. A copy of the guidance is attached.All clinical staff working in abortion services should be trained to at least level 3 of the intercollegiate framework, Safeguarding Children and Young people: roles and competences for health care staff.



Abortion RSOPs May 2014
(PDF Document, 348.13 KB)

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce regional variation of access to (a) minimally invasive technology and (b) drug eluting stents designed to tackle peripheral arterial disease.

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the direct effect of drug eluting stents on the reduction of lower limb amputations.

George Freeman: Vascular services manage the treatment and care of patients with diseases related to disorders of the arteries, veins and lymphatic system. These can be managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. NHS England commissions these services as part of its specialised commissioning portfolio. The vascular disease specialised commissioning clinical reference group has prepared a service specification for specialised vascular services. This aims to ensure that services deliver improved patient experience, provide equality of access to the full range of vascular diagnostics and interventions, and ensue that patients are receiving a high quality of service, with access to the most modern techniques. Implementation of the service specification for specialised vascular services through the local service review processes is designed to reduce regional variation. The service specification can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a04-spec-vascu-adult.pdf The Government has made no assessment of the effects of drug eluting stents on lower limb amputation rates.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every patient with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is recorded on (a) a local searchable database and (b) the UK registry for IBD patients.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to use the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) registry to get an accurate number of people living with IBD.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effects on healthcare of the introduction of a registry of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in England; and what support his Department has provided for that registry.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the use of faecal calprotectin in primary care to facilitate prompt and appropriate referral of people with suspected inflammation of the bowel.

Jane Ellison: The IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) Registry provides a United Kingdom-wide repository of anonymised IBD adult and paediatric patient data for prospective audit and research purposes. Patients must consent for their data to be added to the registry. The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) has allocated transitional funding this year to incorporate IBD audit data collection into the IBD Registry, providing an enhanced system for data capture and quality improvement that will be available to every hospital in the UK. This will allow the entry of data locally and support service improvement. Initially the focus will be for IBD patients receiving biologic treatments, but the system will address other key aspects of IBD care in the future.The second step of data collection will be to focus on new patients with IBD to begin to understand the incidence of IBD in the UK. This picture will build up over a number of years and be dependent on the engagement of clinicians.No specific assessment of the potential effects on healthcare due to the introduction of a registry of patients with IBD in England has been made. However, the data provided through the register can support National Health Service services in areas such as the assessment of local IBD populations as well as in measuring incidence and outcomes with services in other parts of the UK.Although there is no direct Department funding, HQIP have given £290,000 for a year’s transition funding to join the audit data with the registry.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends faecal calprotectin testing as an option to help doctors distinguish between inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and non-inflammatory bowel diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome.The NICE IBD Quality Standard states that general practitioners (GP) and GP practices should ensure that testing is offered and clinical commissioning groups should ensure the diagnostic services are in place to support this.

Cystic Fibrosis: Drugs

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will meet with NICE, NHS England and Vertex to discuss the provision on the NHS of the drug Orkambi to treat cystic fibrosis.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently consulting on its draft technology appraisal guidance on the use of Orkambi (lumacaftor in combination with ivacaftor) for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in people who are homozygous for the F508del mutation. Stakeholders, including the Department, NHS England and the manufacturer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, now have an opportunity to comment on this draft guidance.Departmental officials remain ready to discuss any proposals from the company that could enable National Health Service patients to access the drug at a cost-effective price.NICE expects to publish its final guidance in July 2016.

AIDS: Conferences

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) ministers and (b) officials of his Department will be present at the International Aids Conference in Durban in July 2016.

Jane Ellison: Officials from Public Health England will be attending the conference and feeding back to Ministers on the issues discussed.